BAPEX cautiously optimistic as it tests new well at Zakiganj

Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration and Production Company (Bapex) is increasingly optimistic about the prospects of viably recovering gas from a well in Ananadapur village of Zakiganj upazila in Sylhet.

They hope it can be the 28th gas field of the country, "if all goes well". A drill stem test, a procedure for isolating and testing the pressure, permeability and productive capacity of a geological formation during the drilling of a well, at around 10:00am on Tuesday was successful.

According to the state-owned company, the gas pressure inside the well was recorded 6,000 PSI (pounds per square inch) while the floating pressure was more than 13,000 PSI.

There is a possibility of finding gas in 4 layers in the well but Bapex is primarily examining only the first layer for now.

The well has been dug some 32 kilometres from Beanibazar upazila and 46km from Gopalganj upazila, home to Bangladesh's active gas fields.

Managing director of Bapex, Mohammad Ali, tried to play down the expectations however, saying “We are hopeful, but to be sure it needs to be observed for few hours.”

Officially, the 27 gas fields of Bangladesh had 21.4 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves and an additional 6 tcf that is estimated.

Of this 18.5 tcf gas has already been used, leaving less than 3 tcf gas that is unused from the proven reserves.

Annually 1 Tcf gas is being lifted from 113 wells of the country while 2,500 million cubic feet is being lifted on a daily basis.

The country has recently resorted to importing LNG gas to meet its energy needs.